Thursday, February 14, 2013

It's Valentine's Day, and whether you love it or hate it, are married or single, it finds you every year. We know that our blog is dedicated to all things weddings but for this Valentine's Day, we thought it would be nice to include some fun 'date' ideas for you instead of Valentine-Day themed weddings/stylized shoots. This way, you can use some of the ideas for tonight or this weekend or whenever you are feeling indecisive.

First off, a way to make this fun- even for you as the planner, is to put together a Date 'Jar'. All you need are Popsicle sticks, a mason jar, a sharpie and some ideas (that we'll help you with a little later).

First, color code your Popsicle sticks according to the amount of time, planning, or money that an activity involves. That way, when you're looking at the jar, it's easy to choose from only dates that you know you will actually be able to do.

With a marker, write a bunch of ideas out on your sticks --1 idea per stick. If you don't have many at first, just keep the sticks and marker somewhere easy to get to so that you when you think of something you can write it down right away. Choose ideas that you actually want to do so that when you draw one, you stick to it. (pun intended).

Fill your jar with all of your date options and decorate it however you want! You can keep the sticks after you use them or toss them, but I would definitely add to the supply whenever you think of something so that the options are always fresh and exciting.

So, to help you get started, here are some ideas we have for you:

Dinner & A Show
Play some video games at a local arcade and then go out for pizza — ask them to cut the pie into the shape of a heart.

Try live entertainment, such as a band at a local bar, instead of a movie.

Pick a TV show, get a season's worth on DVD or On Demand and make a running date to watch it together every night.

Head out to a midnight cult movie, like The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Showgirls or Donnie Darko. The Mayfair Theatre has some classics playing every month.

How about dinner and some stargazing at the Museum of Science and Technology ?

Try brunch and a matinee; fancy restaurants are way more affordable in the a.m.

Pick up a bucket of fried chicken and head for the drive-in. Closed in the winter but this one is the one closest to Ottawa and will re-open in the spring.

Oysters are said to be an aphrodisiac, so head to a seafood place, we love Whalesbone, and slurp them right out of the shell.

Take a dinner cruise: There is a company in Ottawa that offers this. The motion of the ocean sets off sensuous signals inside us (think water beds).

Gooey, sexy, delicious: Get a fondue pot and have a feast. Add a French movie and French-kiss all night. My favourite: Amelie.

The sultriest music? Jazz. Try a trip to a jazz club or a night at home with a CD by Cassandra Wilson. Brookstreet Hotel offers live jazz in their Options lounge Tuesday-Sunday nights. You could add on an overnight stay and a trip to their spa the next morning.

Too cold or wet for an outdoor picnic? Spread a blanket on the floor and have a living room picnic.

Make a mixed 'tape': by 'tape' we mean an iTunes playlist that you can load on your partner's ipod.

Create a beer garden: Scour local stores for unusual beers.

Invest in an ice-cream maker or a bread maker; then invent your own homemade treats.

Curl up with the Sunday crossword puzzle.

Order live lobsters, plop them in a pot and have yourselves a shore thing. (Try livelob.com, which even has a cooking guide.)

Bring home your favorite fast food, but serve it on your best china.

Cheap Dates
Museums usually have one free night a week, so hit one then. Check out the list of Ottawa museums here and find which afternoons are free.

Find a happy hour with 10-cent wings and two-dollar draft beers.

Take a sketchpad to a scenic bluff and draw your own version of the vista.

Grab a basketball and hit the free courts at the park.

Sample international food at a street fair. Ottawa is famous for their festivals so check out this website for a calendar of all festivals happening in our city.

Go to the library and page through the coffee-table art books.

Suit up and spend a late afternoon at an indoor pool. Chateau Laurier has an amazing indoor pool which is reminiscent of the 1920's. (think art-deco) It's only $20 to use it all day, and that gives you access to their fitness room too.

Head to the highest point in town. Spend an early evening watching the twinkling lights turn on.

Find a bridge and walk across it; the view can't be beat.

Drive out to a country field, lie down and snuggle under the stars.

Make yourselves the biggest, craziest ice cream sundae ever.

Creative Dates
Take a tour of the house you'd (someday) love to own.

Get your palms or tarot cards read.

Fly a kite.

Sign up for a one-night or weekend class at your local college- about anything ! We love Algonquin College I have taken a few Forensic courses there :)

Hit a farmers' market and scavenge for your dinner. The best ones in Ottawa are the Byward market, the Parkdale Market and the Little Italy Market.

Get an easy-to-operate remote-control plane, go to a park and take turns trying to avoid the trees.

Take a hayride.

Hit a flea market and find a beautiful blanket to snuggle in together.

Take a tour of garage sales in the ritziest neighborhoods.

Don't you just drive each other up the wall sometimes? Prove it — at an indoor climbing gym. Coyote Gym was Ottawa's first.

Head to an ice skating rink and strap on skates for some icy fun. Ottawa's Rink of Dreams is great if the canal is a bit too much for you to handle.

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Gone are the days of baby pink lips and nude eye shadow. Bridal
makeup trends have evolved from understated and cautious to the forefront of
the beauty industry. Traditionally dictated by celebrity red carpet looks and
high fashion trends, brides increasingly want makeup that is cutting edge,
sophisticated and never boring. In this month’s guest blog, beauty experts Amy,
Elissa, Heather and Rachel of Ottawamakeupartists.com
each dish about what trends they are seeing on real brides and share their thoughts
on a hot trend: airbrushing.

Amy
on trends and airbrushing

photo: Barbara Ann Studios

I find that brides are getting
'sexier', and more daring. They are embracing the smokey eye and/or the red
lip. Modern brides aren't afraid to play with their makeup a bit more.

Even with new and
different makeup trends, beautiful skin is at the top of every bride's wish
list...and the trend towards airbrush guarantees this for every bride.

A fantastic way to
provide coverage and a flawless finish while still showcasing fresh, clear skin
is airbrushing. Airbrushing allows the bride and her attendants to forget about
their makeup. It is incredibly long-wearing, helping their makeup to last the
entire wedding day.

Elissa
on effortless elegance

photo: psphotography.ca

Brides continue to ask for elegant and glamorous
wedding day makeup. They want a look that is more special than their everyday
makeup, but not so drastically different that it seems artificial or unnatural.
There is a trend towards timeless and effortless elegance; incredibly flawless
and smooth skin, glowing shimmering cheeks, naturally rosy lips and defined
eyes. What every girl wants, right? Don't we just wake up like that?

Brides are no longer afraid of makeup; they want everything
it has to offer in order to make them feel their most beautiful. This doesn't
mean thick and heavy makeup; it means understanding how makeup can help them
achieve their dream look. Almost every bride is asking for false lashes to add
extra drama to the eyes. The trick is choosing the appropriate style that
compliments each bride’s eyes and lashes. I also have a lot of clients wanting
dramatic, smokey and sexy eyes with an elegance factor that makes it perfect
for the wedding.

photo: Fleischer Photography

Our clients are also so excited about airbrush
foundation. We are able to achieve a flawless complexion with minimal makeup. It feels so light on the skin
and lasts all night. Whether you need light or full coverage, airbrush looks so
natural on every skin type.

Heather
on brides as muses

photo:Photoluxstudio.com

Brides we see in blockbuster movies and celebrity wedding photos
are the perfect muses for makeup artists and cosmetic brands everywhere. The
best example is the vampire influence: bold lips, flawless complexion and
subtly smokey eyes. Deep cranberry tones for lips and lip stains instead of
sticky, goopy glosses are all the rage. We are seeing this trend carry over to
celebrity weddings with a focus on perfected and often paler skin than we have
seen on brides for a long time. That luminous look is really beautiful,
especially with a sheer or slightly pearlized airbrush foundation so that
deeper smokey eyes, naturally flushed-looking cheeks and lips really stand out.

Rachel
on the bold and the beautiful

Brides love glam eyes!
What constitutes a glam eye? It could be colour, shimmer or intense smokey
drama but it undoubtedly always makes the eyes the focal point of a glam
makeup. It’s almost over-the-top but with a sophisticated edge.

Increasingly we are
seeing rosy and bright lips - that cherubic “bitten” look that evokes freshness
and innocence that is sexy at the same time.

photo: Barbara Ann Studios

Big lashes are still
super hot, from extensions to luscious false lashes. Brides love them. Bold
brows are also making a comeback. Not quite the Brooke Shields brows of the 80s
but big, brave and beautifully groomed to frame and enhance the eyes.

Radiant skin and the “no
makeup” makeup go hand in hand. As seen on the red carpet or perhaps copied by
red carpet celebrities who want to look fresh and flawless like brides, the
perfected finish only achievable with airbrush is what every bride wants.

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